Forgotten Miracles
by The Good Doctor
Summary: A fan fiction story about the Sega Master System game "Miracle Warriors" told from the point of a view of a nine-year old boy.
1. Chapter 1

I lay on bed, unable to do much beyond move my arms and chew. I had been bedridden for three months now. Mom and dad would tell me that before I knew it, I'd be back at school, playing on the jungle gym with my friends like old times. I wanted to believe them, I really wanted to. But I couldn't. Not since that night that I got out of bed after my mother had tucked me in. I had put my ear on the wooden floorboads of my room and made an effort to listen to my parents talking in our dining room below. I head my mother sobbing and trying to keep her composure, asking dad and God why I never got better. After that, I abandoned all my hope and decided to spend the rest of my life just playing games. It wasn't like I had anything better to do.

I heard the doorbell ring and my mother open the door.

"Hi Lacey!" I heard mom say enthusiastically.

Lacey was my neighbor and best friend. We were often mistaken for brother and sister because we had walked to school together ever since kindergarten. We were now in the third grade.

"Hello, Mrs. Arbett. I wanted to know if Jackson is well enough to play." Her sweet voice was music to my bedridden ears.

"Of course, Lacey. Jackson would just love your company. Please come in."

I thanked the heavens that my mother didn't send her away. It'd give me something to do and my mother would feel better that Lacey's visit was lifting my spirits. Small miracles, my friend. Small miracles.

The pitter-patter of Lacey's little nine-year-old feet sounded more sweet in my young ears than drum beats of the most talented percussionist in the world. My friend Lacey walked in my room. She wore a white T-shirt with pink trim, complete with pants the same shade of pink as her shirt, completing the outfit. Her long, black curley hair hung past her shoulders and her smile revealed her beautiful, yet slightly large, front teeth.

"Hi Jackson!" she said happily, rubbing my hair.

"Hi Lacey. Thanks for coming." I couldn't be happier if I tried.

"Oh sure. We all miss you at my house. The gang at school misses you, too. Playing Ninja Turtles on the playground isn't the same without our designated Splinter."

Lacey sat down on the floor next to my bed.

"Do you want to play some games, Lacey?" I asked.

"Sure. How about some Double Dragon? At least that one is two-player-at-a-time." She looked up at me with a big grin.

"Sure!" I replied. I loved Lacey's companion ship.

She got up and walked over to my bookcase where my empty Cassio radio box held my games. Shuffling through the different cartridges in the box, she picked out the Double Dragon case and removed the game from it, placing it in my Sega Master System. She turned it on and handed me a control. In less than a minute, we were fighting our way through the slums, beating up Lindas and Abobos with the utmost of joy.

"Lacey," I asked suddenly as we fought through the second level industrial complex. "What happens to us when we die?"

"Mommy told me that we go to heaven, like Grandfather Manzo," she said without looking up.

"Do you believe that?"

Lacey shrugged and glanced at me, ignoring the arrow that told us to continue. "I don't know. I think we go to our favorite place when we die. Like our favorite book or favorite movie or favorite game or something. That way, we'll not only be in our favorite place, but we'll be surrounded by people who have the same favorite place, so we can spend forever and ever talking about our experiences and going on quests and having sleepovers with our favorite characters."

I didn't respond for a few moments, thinking about what she had said and trying to wrestle a stick of dynamite out of a thug's hand so I could blow him and his pals into last year. "I like that idea," I said finally.

"Where is your favorite place?" she asked.

"I think I'd like to spend forever and ever in _Miracle Warriors_," I said proudly.

"I haven't played that one. I don't think many people remember that game. Won't you get lonely?"

"I'm sure I'll meet lots of people there. And it's a big world, always something new to encounter and do."

After I said that, I began to feel unnaturally drowsy. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, which resulted in Jimmy Lee taking more hits around the bridge than usual. My grip on the control loosened and Lacey's voice seemed a bit more distant than normal.

Lacey knocked down a guy with a baseball bat and turned to look at me. "How about this? If you let borrow _Miracle Warriors_, I'll play it again and again until it becomes my favorite game. Then we can spend forever and ever together. What do you think?"

I tried to resond, but the words didn't come out of my mouth.

"Jackson? Jackson?"

I could now feel Lacey frantically shaking me. I remained unresponsive.

The last thing I heard was Lacey screaming, "Mrs. Arbett!"


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up on the bank of a river next to a small wooden bridge that spanned its width. Startled, I made an effort to get up, and, to my surprise, I had no difficulty at all getting up. I felt strong and vigorous for the first time in months. But the question still stood, where was I?

I noticed a small knapsack, tied to the end of a stick like I used to see in movies and in cartoons, lying in the spot where I had been sleeping. Looking around to see if anyone was watching, I slowly knelt down and opened up the cloth sack and peered into its contents. There were some clothes, a small knife, and another, smaller sack filled with strange coins. Where exactly was I?

I threw the stick over my shoulder and walked across the bridge. I saw a large forest in front of me and what looked like a city wall next to it. Surely I could find out where exactly I was if I went to the city. There was a little voice in my mind that repeated Lacey's words to me, but I thought it was impossible. As I neared the city wall, I heard a loud dog-like snarl.

To my horror, a large dog-like animal stood on all fours behind me. It certainly looked like a dog, but it wore what looked like a red suit of armor with a huge spike sticking out above its head. It took a few steps closer to me, growling like the most vicious of rotweilers that I had ever seen. I felt like I was an actor in The Pack.

"Ohmigosh, it's a Sesaig. What is a seisag doing here?"

I didn't have time to pull my knife out of the knapsack, so I simply set off in a fast sprint toward the city in front of me. The canine monster followed behind me, but thank goodness, I was able to outrun it and soon the creature turned away and headed off in another direction. I said a silent prayer as I reached the city walls.

A kind guard let me through the gate and I found myself in a beautiful town on the bank of another river. I stopped by a house near the entrance to the city and asked the lady there where I was.

With a voice full of compassion, she responded, "Welcome to Oruk, my friend. Please, make yourself at home."

"Oruk? Sesaig? I can't believe it! I'm in the Miracle Warriors game! Lacey was right! Lacey was right!"

I thanked the woman and went about exploring the town. As I did so, I ran into a rather large fellow who brandished a sword and wore a knight-like suit of armor, although his thighs were bare and he bore no shield. He stopped me on the road near the armor shop and introduced himself.

"Good stranger. My name is Rad. I have come here on a dangerous quest seeking information. Canst thou help me on my way?"

He was alone, so I knew that this must be the first player, or the main player of the game. I decided to help him. After all, it was his destiny to defeat the evil Lord Terarin and restore peace to the five continents. That's how it was in the game.

"Young hero," I replied. "You must first find a companion to assist you on your journey. There is a powerful warrior named Guy who shall assist you. You must acquire 300 fangs and trade them for a powerful axe at the Marula castle, south of here." I was surprised at how many small details I had remembered.

The young, but brawny warrior nodded. "Then what must I do?" he inquired majestically.

"To the southwest, near the stormy seas, is another town. You shall find Guy waiting for you there."

The warrior smiled and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, kind traveller. May the spirit of Iason protect you on your wanderings."

The man turned and left the town, leaving me standing in awe on the streets of Oruk. I couldn't believe it. I had just given helpful information to the hero of Miracle Warriors. I was so pleased with myself. If he was to defeat Terarin, I would know that I had taken part in the adventure. Pleased with myself, I went about talking to the inhabitants of the town, hoping to find someone who had originally come from my world. There were none.

"It's okay. Let's backtrack and head toward Garia, at the beginning of the game. I should have better luck there."

I purchased some herbs and left the town, heading north and then east. I often found myself running from thieves and girods, which looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but with more intimidating claws. Once in a while, I had to defend myself against a Weasley Wimp or an Evil Merchant, but soon I became quite expert with the knife and had increased my fortune to about 500 guilders.

Once in the town of Garia, I went about questioning the inhabitants, talking the way I talked in my own world instead of the archaic English the inhabitants used, hoping to fish out someone from my own world. Yet again, there was nobody who had come from my world and thus my desires were frustrated again. I bought myself a feather—which could transport me away in case of an emergency—and left town. I was a traveller, so wandering around was my calling in life.

It was several months later that I ran into the hero again. He was travelling near Minos alongside Guy. Guy, a mustached giant wielding a gigantic sword, was an intimidating sight. Both of them were now armed with the weapons of legend, the hero with Iris' Axe and Guy with Turos' Sword. The hero stopped me and, like the last time, asked me if I might know anything that would help him on his quest.

I asked him if they had defeated the giant wolf monster, the Senpi. He replied that he had. I then told him to look for a dense forest east of Kadia, where he had found Guy. There, in a narrow isthmus, he would encounter a monster called a Skeleton. Only Guy could defeat the fearsome creature. Doing so, they would be able to build a ship and sail southward.

Guy and the hero looked overjoyed at my advice. Each of them gave me powerful embraces that nearly squeezed the life out of me. The hero then paused and turned to look at me.

"Thou art the same who helped me in Oruk."

I nodded humbly.

The hero reached into a large pouch that hung from his belt and pulled out a thousand guilders. He handed them to me, which I greedily hid in my knapsack. He then nodded to Guy, who pulled out a fifty fangs from his own pouch, and handed them to me.

"A show of thanks for thy help," he said simply. "Come Guy, we must find the village of shipbuilders, soon."

In a few moments, the two heroes were on their way again. I continued my journey to Minos and, after getting something to eat, went about my usual ritual of looking for anyone from my world who might have come here. I had been doing this for months now, talking to merchants, other travelers, white monks, and the inhabitants of three towns, three castles, and two villages, trying to find a fellow fan of the game who had been destined to spend their afterlife here. All of my searches had yet been in vain. I was undeterred, however. After all, Miracle Warriors was blessed with a huge map. There were still a few more towns and villages in this continent and two other continents that I had yet to explore. I must not give up hope now.

However, I did realize that I would soon need to start traveling. So, while in Minos, I signed up to a be a merchant. My boss gave me a large cargo, mainly of swords and shield, but also of feathers and herbs, and I was to set sail from Menos to the southern continent of Eratos in a week. I excitedly got my things ready and made the dangerous trip through the mountains to the port city of Menos.

I didn't mind the danger; there was something quite exhilarating about running away from the Vome—a monster that looked like a giant sentient kidney—and it's flame spell. And the roksaigs were quite nice if you brought some meat with you. After all, being a merchant meant that I would soon meet lots of new people. Certainly I would meet somebody from my own world. And it was that thought—the thought of me sitting down at a restaurant and trading life stories with a Miracle Warriors fan from Earth—that sustained me up to this point.


	3. Chapter 3

I have been a merchant for many years now. I have sailed the calm seas os Julus and Itys and survived the stormy seas around the mysterious continent of Aereos, where the evil Lord Terarin resides. I am now back on Eratos, though, making my journey from Doris to Torif, the two major cities of that continent. I have to deliver some powerful swords and sturdy steel shields to Torif. I pray that no harm befalls me along the way.

Once in a while, I meet up with the hero and his party. I used to come across him journeying with all three of his destined companions: the powerful Guy, the Amazonian beauty Medi, and the axe-wielding pirate Treo. Sometimes. In the beginning, the hero would recognize me as that traveler from Oruk who had first helped him, early on in his quest. Back then, we would talk and, whenever I knew where exactly in the game he was, I would give him the appropriate "tips" and he'd reward me with some fangs or meseta as a show of good will.

That doesn't happen anymore. Years ago, I met him again, but that time he was only travelling with Medi and Guy. He didn't remember having met me before. To be honest, nobody seemed to remember his having defeated Terarin years before, so I assume that the game had simply resetted. As always, I graciously would give him and his compatriots information whenever they asked for it. They wouldn't give me favors like the other hero, but at least would thank me sincerely.

I haven't met up with him in a while though. I think the game has since resetted again, since the people of Doris were beginning to fret about the armies of Terarin yet again. He's probably back in Oruk still trying to kill animals so that he can have enough fangs to get the Iris' Axe again. That's okay. When I meet up with him again, I'll be sure to help him. I know he'll need it. Maybe I'll even stop by the forests of Arukas to find some Liphants, those bipedal elephant monsters that carry the Sacred Nuts, the _Miracle Warriors_ equivalent to a hand grenade. Then I can give him those and help him even more than simply just giving him information. Yeah, I'll do that.

I'm sad to say that I haven't met up with anybody from my own world yet. I took up the job as a merchant because I knew that I'd not only be able to move around freely around this world, and thus cover a wider area, but because I'd be able to rack up a wealth of good stories to tell my fellow MW fans when I met them. So far, nothing. I feel discouraged, but I haven't completely thrown in the towel. After all, even though I'm on the third repetition of the game—I think—I reason to myself that time here passes more quickly than in my world. By that logic, three or four repetitions of the game may only translate to a year or two in my old world.

I often think about Lacey during my journeyings. I miss her dearly. She must be about eleven or twelve now. I smile when I think about how beautiful she must be now as a young lady. I wonder if she has been playing _Miracle Warriors_. I wonder if she remembers me at all. Surely she does. She's still my neighbor, after all. Or is she? Has she moved away? Has my family moved away? I hope that hasn't happened. As long as she lives close to my family, she should never forget me. Nonetheless, if she's only twelve, she still has a long life ahead of her.

Waiting for Lacey isn't a problem. I know that I'll be here for a long time. I just yearn for the chance to talk to someone from my own world. I want to talk about anything, even banal stuff like Burger King or something, and have the other person nod his or her head in comprehension. Is that really too much to ask? I know I shouldn't complain too much. The people here are very nice, save the evil merchants and black monks, and the monsters, of course. But the townspeople are very nice. A lot of the young girls in the port cities have declared their love for me and said they'd wait forever for me. I try to stay true to Lacey, however. I know that my love for her will last an eternity; the girls from the cities here will forget about me as soon as the game starts over again.

I feel lonely, despite always having a wealth of people to talk to. I feel like a stranger here, despite the fact that people in four different continents—I haven't been to Aereos since the last reset—know who I am. They call me the "funny-talking merchant", since I never speak in Archaic terms. I hold out on the hope that one day, I'll meet up with the kind soul of someone who called _Miracle Warriors_ his favorite game. If that first special companion happens to be Lacey, so much more the better.

But until then, I must keep wandering around the world, meeting people, visiting cities, talking to random travelers, and helping the hero on his quest. It is my duty. It is my destiny.


	4. Chapter 4

I have often wondered if I had made so many mistakes in my nine years of life of Earth that it would be my destiny to be consigned to an eternity of living in a world that seemed to reset itself about once every thirty years or so, and to have no company from any departed soul from Earth, some soul that could sit by my side and reason with me about times past or even just fill me in on things that my tragic death caused me to miss out.

I suppose it's my fault, when all is said and done. After all, I chose to enjoy _Miracle Warriors_ back when I was alive. I chose to call it my favorite game. I chose to insist that my schoolmates and I imagine ourselves as characters and monsters from that game, even though I usually go overruled and we would play _Ninja Turtles_ instead. And because of that choice, I am now a permanent fixture of the game...an ageless entity that exists to help the hero and nothing else. Whatever I do outside of giving the hero some advice is of no consequence in this world.

I think I gave up hope after about the twenty-fifth repetition of the game or so. I know I shouldn't have, but I did. I simply stopped caring. I stopped huddling in the corners of my rooms at the inn and crying myself to sleep. I stopped waiting for Lacey, despite the fact that according to my logic, she'd only be in her mid-30s or so now. It didn't matter. I had been wandering the world of _Miracle Warriors _for over 750 game years now. There must be so many games out now that the possibility of anyone still referring to this game as their favorite was slim to nil. I mean, if games had progressed so much from the Atari to the Sega Master System, just imagine how things would be now. There's no way in hell that any sane person would still find enjoyment in the Sega Master System, let alone an obscure RPG like _Miracle Warriors_.

It was in this despair that I had my first brush with real evil.

I was walking across the valley of Quirinus from Garia to Oruk one day when I came across a fellow merchant. We greeted each other amiably, as I always did, and then I had a thought: What would happen if I attacked him? What would he do? So, as we sat down to a nice snack of herbs and Beastie meat, I furtively slipped my hand into my cloak and wrapped my fingers around my dagger. While he was chatting on about rumors that the famous pirate Treo now joining the hero's team, I fell upon him.

The poor man tried to fight back, but I was too fast for him. I was about to slay him when I decided that it would be better simply to knock him out and steal his belongings. So I banged the haft of my dagger against his head until he was unconscious and, putting his merchandise into my cart, bypassed Oruk and fled to Kadia instead. I sold his merchandise at a high price and, finding myself with more money than I knew what to do with, I started hording it. I kept most of it in a basement of a house in Kadia, although I kept some in Doris and Garia as well.

With each year, my thefts broughts me more and more money, even to the point that, whenever I ran into the hero and his party, they'd try to kill me and take my money. Those fiends! It's mine! I acquired it through my own craftiness! Why would they want my guilders! The fools! They're supposed to be ridding the land of evil, not of merchants like me? Go kill a Desert Mammoth or Sea Serpent! Leave me alone, I would say!

It was then that I declared the hero and his three companions my enemies. I hated them all! If the hero ever stopped me early on in my journey to question me, I'd attack him with my sword, that's what I would do. All he wants is my money anyways. He just wants his precious guilders so he can update his weapons and buy feathers and herbs and god knows what else. Get it from somebody else. Leave this merchant alone!

I think I was already on the thirtieth repetiton of the game when one day I was out walking from Menos back to Minos and I was stopped by a black monk. He wore a strange, horned helmet, carried a large staff whose serpent-like extremity seemed to be swallowing a brilliant green jewel, which matched perfectly with his green robe. He looked at me with a sinister smile and invited me to follow him. I didn't have any merchadise to deliver at the moment so I obliged.

"Art thou the infamous "funny talking merchant" I've heard so much about?" he asked, rather kindly.

"Yes." My response was short and direct.

"I have heard a lot about thee. Thy fortune rivals that of all the kings in Marula and Arukas combined and thine ruthlessness surpasses that of the most powerful Desert Wanderer."

"Silly rumors," I responded humbly.

The monk shook his head. "No need for modesty, kind friend. Yet, despite thy great wealth, I know that thou lackest something important in thine life."

I raised an eyebrow. I wondered if the monk could read minds.

He went on. "I know that, if thine life is to be complete, thou wilt need a companion. A real companion and not those silly little lovestruck harlots in Oruk and Kadia. Thou desirests for someone much like yourself. Terarin can give you that companion."

For a moment a picture of Lacey, the innocent little girl flashed in my head. She must be about almost forty now. For an old merchant like me, that would simply be perfect.

"You're right. I do yearn for true companionship."

The monk patted me on the back. "Then being a monk for Terarin is the best choice you could ever make. When she has conquered this world, she can give you ten, if not twenty companions that you desire. You're life would be one of eternal pleasure. No longer would you be alone."

There was something in his promise that appealed to me. My sense of hope was once again re-ignited. The old dreams of meeting someone like me, from my world, broke their chains in the recesses of my mind and I found myself invigorated once more.

With a wry smile, I looked at the monk. "Please go on. Tell me what I'd have to do."


	5. Chapter 5

There were a lot of benefits to being a black monk, that's for sure. All of the monsters that infested the world respected you. No longer did thieves attack me and, if they did, I could slay them in one swing with my magical staff. I felt so powerful that nothing really hurt me any more. A thief could smite me dozens of times with his morning star and I'd only feel a slight scratch. And then, _BOOM_, I'd fire a flame spell at him and he'd be unrecognizable as a human being. Merchants and travelers fled at the sight of me and, for the first several years, whenever the hero and his friends encountered me, they'd just as quickly run away than try to fight me.

Other black monks would occasionally run into me and tell me that the coming of Lord Terarin was nearly at hand and soon I would have everything I desired. I was at length told to go to Aereos and wait there for further instruction. I did as I was told, sailing the high seas but ultimately protected from the giant lobsters and sea snakes by my own black magic. It was after I had arrived in Aereos that I ran into the hero and his party again. It would be an encounter I'd never forget.

Something in their eyes made my blood boil with anger when I saw them. I blamed them and their quest for the misery that had led me to become a black monk. I blamed them for my decision to seek my satisfaction via a deal with the devil—or Terarin—instead of doing the right thing. For years and years I helped people and the hero, and what did I have to say for it? Nothing. Loneliness and despair.

The hero hailed me and bid me stop when he saw me.

"Dear monk, we are looking for the monument where we might find the so-called Key of Heaven. Canst thou help us?"

I don't know what came over me at that moment, but I let out a scream and fired a blast from my staff, knocking the hero off his feet. Guy and Medi quickly came to the hero's aid, and it was Treo, the pirate, who challenged me.

"Dark monk of the abyss, how dare you attack the savior of our fair land!" he hollered as he raised his "legendary" weapon, the Halberd of Babel, to strike at me.

I parried the weapon with no effort whatsoever and struck him in the stomach. Treo doubled forward, gasping for air. I knew that Treo was technically the weakest of the party, so I let him feel the brunt of my anger. I pressed forward, slamming the staff, the jewel at the end emitting a bright green light, repeatedly into Treo's face. Each blow left his face, that infernal righteous look and flattop haircut that probably went out of style a few years after I came to this accursed place, bloodier and bloodier.

Guy and Medi tried to step in, but I cast a flame spell, creating an enormous wall of blue fire between them and I, so that I could beat their hapless companion to death in piece. Treo tried to run me through with the spearhead at the end of his halberd, but I caught the weapon with my hand and brought my own weapon down on his arm, snapping it like the weakest of twigs.

Treo howled in pain, drowning the cries and screams of his three companions from beyond the wall of flame. I resumed my passionate bludgeoning, smiting Treo continuously in the face until he was down on his knees, begging for mercy. I did not concede, I struck him a final time on the back of the head, producing a loud _Crack_. The warrior rolled over. Dead.

The wall of flame I had created wore off. The hero and the other two ran toward their fallen companion. They ignored me, focusing their attention on Treo. I heard them mutter about how he was now dead and how they'd have to get him over to Periteus so that they might get him resurrected. I saw Medi remove a feather from a leather pouch she carried. As they were about to transport themselves across continents, she gave me a funny look. It was the look of horror and shock, but, for a few brief moments, her face looked exactly like how I imagined Lacey's face to look now.

A dark feeling came over me. For the first time, I realized what evil I had done. It finally became clear to me how much of a monster I had become. I had slain a hero, a man devoted to the cause of restoring peace to the land. For what? For companionship? Did I not have that already? Had I not had that the entire time and was simply too stubborn and ungrateful to embrace it with all of my heart? Had I put so much stock in my own vain dreams that I was blind to the good that had always been afforded me in this land?

These questions plagued my mind as I fled into the vast Kerberos Desert on the continent of Aereos. I fled until I reached a large oasis and a town called Zete. Zete was the last town to be found in the game and the most isolated one at that. It sat on the shore of a small lake in the middle of desert and was several days' journey southwest of Tegea, the other town on the continent. I threw my staff and green cloak on the ground as I entered the city, not wanting to be identified anymore as a follower of Terarin. All I wanted to be alone. For once, I embraced the isolation that I felt in this land.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't know how long I stayed in that town. It must've been a least one more resetting of the game. I spent most of my days sitting at the edge of water, praying to who knows what gods, asking for forgiveness for having served Terarin for as long as I did.

I know that the hero was successfully able to revive Treo and ultimately complete his mission because not too long after I arrived at the city, the quartet showed up in the town. They saw me, but didn't recognize me. At least the men didn't. Medi stopped by the lake one day to fill her canteen with fresh water and saw me sitting on the sandy banks of the lake with my chin perched on my knees. She stared at me for a few moments and then sat down beside me.

"I saw thy staff and robes being blown about in the sand outside town," she said kindly. "Would you like me to retrieve for thee?"

I shook my head. I was too ashamed to talk to her. "Please, fair Medi, let me forget about that part of my life."

"Thou hast made a courageous decision, good man," she said with a smile. "My friends and I now have the three keys and we'll soon confront the demon Terarin. It is better for thee to be on the winning side now."

I shook my head weakly in agreement. "Why don't you kill me with your Crushing Attack now? Don't you want to get revenge for what I did to Treo?"

Medi reached out and placed her hand on my face, turning it so that I was looking deep into her bright blue eyes. "We are fighting for justice, not revenge. Terarin would only become strengthened if we acted out of a thirst for blood." Medi looked up, as did I, and saw her companions beckoning for her. "I must get going," she said. "Peace be with you."

She got up and followed her companions.

They were, as usual, victorious.

That was a couple of years ago.

It was as I sat at the edge of the lake, pondering my existence and purpose in life, that I saw a reflection upon the surface of the water. It was Lacey. She looked to be about twenty or so. I spun around to see my dear friend, but I saw nobody. I sat down again and gazed into her face, which smiled serenely at me, showing off her prominent front teeth that I had found so beautiful as a young boy.

To my surprise, the reflection spoke to me. "Hello Jackson," Lacey said to me. Her voice was lot more mature, but still comforting nevertheless.

"Lacey?" I said, trying to hold back the tears.

"You know I've never forgotten you," she said, caressing the face ofmy reflection on the water with her delicate hands. "I'll never forget you, nor do I ever want to forget you."

"I miss you so much," I sobbed. "I'm so lonely here."

"I know how you feel. You feel like the only person in the world, even surrounded by others, don't you?"

I nodded, wiping the tears from my eyes. "When can you come see me?"

Lacey's reflection sighed. "Forgive me, dear Jackson. But I cannot. I have other things to do. I still have a life to live. I have a husband to love and children to raise. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you there."

I wept in despair at those words. I wanted to throw myself into the lake and drown myself at that moment, hoping that'd I die and come back with no memory whatsoever of my previous life. But I just kept staring at my dear friend.

"Will I ever have any company here?" I asked, my voice cracking with emotion.

"Maybe. I can't guarantee you anything. You're favorite game was almost forgotten when you died. It's been a long time. Not many people remember it very much anymore, let alone anyone who considers it their favorite game."

Lacey was right. I had been here too long. I had been here long past the point in which he possibility of somebody else spending their afterlife with me was feasible.

"So what do I do?"

My dear friend smiled. "Lead a good life. Help the hero and his friends defeat the bad guys. Take care of the weak and downtrodden. If you want to have your own family, don't feel like you need to wait for me. Just do it. Enjoy life now and stop waiting for the future." There was a conviction in her voice that told me that she meant everything she said.

"Thank you, Lacey. Thank you for always having been my friend."

She smiled and waved at me. And then, before I could say anything else, her image disappeared from the surface of the water. Once again, I was alone.


	7. Chapter 7

After my meeting with Lacey, I took whatever money I had on my person and bought a feather, transporting myself back to Kadia. There, I found that my personal fortune was still stashed away in a basement beneath one of the houses, despite having been placed there numerous games ago. I took the money and invested in an enormous quantity of healing herbs, buying out the entire stock in both Oruk and Kadia. I bought myself a wooden staff and let my hair grow out, so that I now looked like a white monk from the game.

To my surprise, after I did so, almost all monsters stayed away from me on general principle. Not even the stubborn weasley wimps tried to hassle me whenever I walked the plains of Arukas, where the game began. I did what Lacey had told me to do. I helped the downtrodden, I assisted in rebuilding the cities that were attacked by Terarin's monstrous forces, and I protected the good merchants and travellers from the forces evils as they journeyed from one end of the world to the next.

I often encountered the hero on his journeys. Like I used to do when I first arrived in this land, I would often engage him in conversation and, finding out at what point he was on his journey, I'd tell him what his next step should be. And then, as a show of good faith, I would give him some healing herbs until he was at full strength. He often tried to give me money or fangs for my troubles, but I simply smiled and told him that "we white monks" shouldn't accept monetary rewards.

As the months passed, I ran into the hero time and time again, this time with his companions. I performed the same ritual each time I saw them, for which they were profoundly grateful. I don't know how, though, but whenever I saw them and Medi was already on their team, she would give me a wink and a kiss on the cheek. Whether or not she did this with all monks or not, I can only speculate.

I strove to make my interactions with the townspeople more meaningful, getting involved in their lives and not just talking to them purely for business reasons. They all enjoyed my company and I soon became known as the "funny talking white monk." I liked that nickname; it reminded me of the good days when I did nothing but good in the land. I made large donations to the elders of each town, even helping to pull the town of Doris out of bankrupty, which the residents were grateful for.

One day, I had just visited the down of Garia on spiritual business and had left town heading north toward the Arasia Castle, where the game began. As I did so, I saw an attractive woman, about twenty-five or so, running away from a pair of thieves. I hastened my pace to catch up to her. She shrieked in fear.

"Fear not, young maiden. Stay behind me. I'll protect you." I said gallantly.

The woman nodded and ran behind me.

"Old man!" yelled one of the thieves beligergently. "Thou hast nothing to do with us. Be gone!"

"Scoundrels!" I yelled. "How dare you fall upon this beautiful girl here. Leave her alone or so help me."

One of the thieves, the one who hadn't said anything, flung his morning star in my direction. With a twist and turn of my staff, I deflected the flow until the chain of his weapon had wrapped around mine own. Giving the wooden staff a powerful yank, I disarmed the thief, leaving him in a surprised awe. I then extended my arm and yelled out some words in another language.

There was bright flash of white light. The two thieves shielded their eyes, but it was too late. They staggered forward a few steps, and then fell to their knees. In a couple of moments, they were sleeping on the ground like little children.

I turned to the frightened girl. "I'm sorry if I scared you. Something had to be done about these thugs."

The young lady looked at me curiously. "You're the first person I've met here that doesn't talk like they do in the Bible or in a Shakespeare play."

My heart leapt inside my chest. _Shakespeare? Bible? It could only mean one thing: I had found a companion at long last!_

Hiding my ecstasy at meeting someone from my own world, I said, "Quite observant of you. Let me give you a little hint: I'm not from around here."

"You mean—wait a minute are you Jackson?" the girl asked, her face becoming red.

I stared at her for several seconds, not believing what I was hearing. "Lacey?" I asked, reaching out the feel the young girl's face.

"No. I'm Shaina. But I did know Lacey. She was the owner of the _Miracle Warriors_ fan site. She had the place dedicated to your memory. She always said that she created the community so that you might have company. None of us ever really understood why, although now I do. " Shaina's rambling was more beautiful to me than the most eloquent speech given by the most powerful orator.

"I'm not quite sure I follow you, but I'm overjoyed nonetheless." Overjoyed was something of an understatement. I was fighting back the tears so much that I couldn't think straight anymore. "You mean there was a community for fans of the game?"

"When was it that you died?"

"1991."

"Okay, so quite a few things have happened since then. But yeah, there was a small online community devoted to our favorite game. We weren't many, but we were tight knit and close. I assume you want to know more about all of this?" There was a twinkle in her eyes as she said that.

I grinned. "Sure. Come, my dear. Let's head to Garia. It's dangerous for a white monk and a beautiful damsel like yourself to be hanging around out here alone."

I cautiously wrapped my arm around her and guided her in the direction of Garia. To my surprise, she let me do so. She smiled affectionately at me and followed my lead.

"So, you want to know what you missed, huh? I hope you have time to listen."

I chuckled at that. "My dear Shaina, you and I have all the time in the world."


End file.
